ABSTRACT
Nowadays there is a considerable amount of published data on the response of composite tubes to axial crushing. Most of this work is concerned with the use of composites in applications where energy absorption under crash conditions is an important requirement. The work is complementary to a larger body of research on the behavior of metallic and thermoplastic tubes under the same loading conditions. Tubes made from these materials, which are homogeneous, isotropic and ductile, collapse by progressive plastic folding. The fold geometry and the collapse loads depend on the shape and dimensions of the tubes and can be predicted with some accuracy.
